


you gave me the word, I finally heard

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotions, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Marriage, Schmoop, ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Melissa dated for a good six months before he even considered taking his wedding ring off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you gave me the word, I finally heard

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Challenge 8 over at beacon_hills on LJ, which was to create something (or a couple somethings) based on Sheriff Stilinski who, for this fic, I've gone with the fanon and named John, just an FYI.

John and Melissa dated for a good six months before he even considered taking his wedding ring off. She never commented on it, never focused on it or said a word when he could run his hands over her body and she could feel the smooth metal on her skin.

Once John noticed, though, _really_ noticed, that he was still wearing his wedding ring it bothered him. He decided that was the sign. 

It was time.

He hid the ring in a pill bottle in the medicine cabinet, figuring that as safe a place as any for it to keep for now.

He felt naked. 

He had the tell-tale band still around his finger only now it was pale and soft, ridged where the ring had worn a permanent place into his body.

He knew the exact moment Stiles noticed he wasn't wearing it but he didn't say anything. He nodded a bit and clapped his dad on the back and he was okay with it. It was more than time, in Stiles' eyes. John was pretty sure Stiles was hoping he and Melissa would make things more official so he could go off to college knowing someone else was in his life to watch his every move and not ruin the carefully-crafted diet Stiles had spent years perfecting for him.

Melissa didn't say anything, either, and for that John was incredibly grateful. He could move on.

He could.

Easier said than done, as it would turn out. John found himself constantly rubbing against the place his ring used to be, sometimes waking in the middle of the night thinking he'd lost it. He resisted going to the medicine cabinet to look at the ring, resisted slipping it on just to feel it again.

He started to feel guilty.

He fought it back, telling himself he wasn't hurting anyone. Stiles was okay with it, Melissa was okay with it, _he_ was okay with it-- _he was_. His wife--his wife would _want_ him to do this, right? 

Right?

The guilt ate at him until one afternoon, before his night shift was supposed to start a couple hours later, he caved and went to the bathroom to grab that bottle. He held it in his hand for a few moments before taking a deep breath and opening it to find--

Nothing.

Nothing was there. The ring wasn't there.

The doorbell rang.

John shifted back and forth for a moment, wondering which way to go. Finally he carried the bottle down the stairs in his hand, robotic and blank, to open the door.

Melissa stood on the other side with a hesitant smile on her face.

"Melissa! Were we supposed to get together?" John asked, confused. He stepped aside so she could come in automatically.

"No, sorry. I didn't mean to drop by unannounced," she replied, shaking her head so her curls bounced a bit around her face.

"Never apologize for that," John said softly, a smile on his face. Melissa ducked her head slightly, shyly, and noticed the open pill bottle in his hand.

"Did I interrupt something?" She nodded to his hand. John jerked his hand suddenly when he looked down because he'd forgotten about his predicament from mere moments earlier, and sent pills flying across the floor.

"Shit," he muttered. "I just--I think I've lost something."

"Um," Melissa started, suddenly sounding nervous. "I think I know what it is."

John cocked an eyebrow. "Oh."

Melissa reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small box, a ring box. She opened it for him and pulled out, surprise surprise, a ring. His ring.

But it was attached to a chain, something thick and functional, shiny and dark. Melissa reached out and exchanged the pill bottle for the ring and necklace.

"It was Stiles' idea," Melissa blurted out. "Um, not to throw him under the bus or anything."

"No, please do," John replied with a laugh. "But I don't understand?"

"We both noticed," Melissa explained, not needing to explain what she was referring to. "We both love you and know how much you loved her. I don't want to make assumptions about us because you took it off but I also don't want you to feel like she's gone completely. So this," Melissa continued as she reached out to take the necklace back and slipped it over John's head and tucked the chain and ring under the collar of his undershirt. "Is so you can keep her close to your heart."

John's breath hitched in his throat and he couldn't say anything for a minute or so. He reached a hand up to run over the cool metal against his neck, the slight bump under his shirt. 

"The chain?" John finally asked.

"That was all Stiles. He explained it to me but I couldn't really follow what he was talking about. He took it to Deaton to be infused or enchanted--I'm not sure. But it's supposed to offer some protection from, well, you know."

"This town?" John offered with a laugh.

"Exactly. And I'm all the happier for it."

"Me, too."

Melissa bit her lip. "So you're not mad?"

John reached out to pull her to him, hugging her close so her cheek rested against his chest right next to where the ring was settled and it all felt _right_.

"Never," he whispered.


End file.
